The Fury and Love of a Time Lord
by BreakingReality13
Summary: The Doctor comes back into the TARDIS, blood staining him. He's alone. He has no one; which is only a bit true. But when a mirror starts talking, do you listen? Rated T for cutting, mild language, and blood. Also because I'm paranoid.


The Doctor burst into the TARDIS, sweaty and with blood all over his hands, splattered all over his clothes. He laughed quietly. "Now wasn't that a battle?" the Time Lord grinned madly at the console's centerpiece. The TARDIS made a low, disapproving noise.

_She didn't like any of this._

"Fine, be that way! I'm going to go freshen up," he grumbled, walking towards the dim corridor. On the way to the bathroom, a door caught his eye. When he turned his full attention to it, he sighed. It had been Clara's room. Now it was dormant. Empty. Dark. Memories.

_A vacant room._

"My Clara, oh my impossible soufflé girl," the Doctor murmured, tracing her name ingraved on a silver nameplate. When he pulled his hand back, he saw that blood stained her name. Wincing, the madman shook his head and went back to trudging towards the bathroom. She was gone. He needed to know that and get over her. Clara was just a close friend. Clara was just a friend.

_Just a friend._

The Doctor turned the handle and pushed the door open, then entering the bathroom. "I'll have to clean up later," the Time Lord told himself, seeing the blood smudged on the door's handle. The madman turned on the faucet and was about to put his crimson stained hands when he noticed something.

_He noticed himself._

The Doctor saw his reflection in the mirror and was taken aback. His usually energetic, bright green eyes were dark, upset. His normally tidy bow tie was torn and bloody. Blood was everywhere, even on his face. He weakly smiled at his reflection, but for some reason his reflection didn't smile back.

_Even his own mirror image was against him.  
_  
"Whatever, probably just tired...," he said to himself, disguist in his voice. But deep inside, a scolding voice reminded him Time Lords barely slept at all. But he ignored it.

_He ignored common sense.  
_  
"You're not tired," his own voice came from no where, yet he hadn't spoken at all. It had been his reflection. In the mirror stood someone that wasn't him. He was the Doctor. The Doctor from when he had Clara.

_The reflection was the Doctor._

"You can shut up now. You aren't even real," the Time Lord growled, glaring at the Doctor. "I'm more real than you are, Doctor," the mirror replied, unimpressed.

"Oi, shut your mouth. I'm not the Doctor- I'm the Time Lord Victorious," the madman hissed.

"Oh great, Time Lord Victorious. Remember last time? You tried to do something unsensible, and the fixed point remained. You can't change things by pretending to be able to completely control all of time. It doesn't work like that."

"Like you'd know much better. You're me."

"I may be you, but I know what you've done is wrong. You saved a planet, yes, but you killed all those people, too!"

The Time Lord Victorious was not surprised. It was not unlike himself to be upset at the thought of violence, but really? Stop being such a baby.  
"For what reason does it matter? Just leave me alone."

"For what reason? For what reason?! I'll give you one reason, three words. Just three words.

_Clara_

_Oswin_

_Oswald."  
_  
The Time Lord's eyes grew wide and stared at his reflection. Had he really used those words? That name? He really knew himself well. 'Rassilon, he's so... _Me_,' he thought with an inaudible sigh.

"She wouldn't want this. She wouldn't like this. She would know this isn't you!" his reflection cried, anger in his eyes. But there wasn't just anger.

_There was desperation._

"She's dead! She's gone, it doesn't matter anymore! It's not like she can say a damn thing about this!" the Time Lord snapped, fire in his eyes.

"Oh really? Then let's see what she has to say about that," and suddenly the reflection blurred and then the image cleared.

_His hearts skipped a beat._

"Doctor? Is that... _Is that blood on your face?_"

Clara Oswald's image had replaced his. She had a blue top with small white flowers in a pattern. Her hair hadn't been straightened- it had its natural curl. And the look in her eyes, oh the look in her eyes.

_Her eyes were terrified by the sight of him._

"I- It- Yes. It's blood. So what?" he couldn't face her. He hadn't realized it, but...

_The faucet was off.  
_  
"_So what?!_ Doctor, why is there blood on your face?! Where am I?! If you're really the Doctor, where the hell am I and why didn't I prevent this?!"  
These words really did reach him. And they didn't just reach him, no. They slapped him. They hit him and beat him until he really felt guilt and sadness. Seeing Clara, seeing her. Seeing her before... Before it.

_Before that happened._

"There's blood on my face because I was saving lives! Deal with it! And you?! You're not here right now, alright?!" he yelled. Now, if there had been anyone else truly on the TARDIS they would be wondering why the Doctor was screaming in the bathroom, but there wasn't anyone.

_He was alone._

"I'm... Something, did something happen?" she quietly asked. He couldn't face her. He couldn't. He didn't want her to know. "Something happens all the time. It doesn't matter," he mumbled, keeping his eyes on the floor. Since when did this razor appear in his hand, these cuts on his wrist?

_More blood, everywhere._

_Everywhere._

"Doctor, you know right? That I...," the short brunette trailed off.

"That you..?"

Oh, he knew all right. He just wanted to hear her say it.

"That... That I... I love you."

A smile finally came to his lips, and he allowed it. "Yeah. And you know what? I love you too."

He looked up at the mirror, and he saw a smile on her face. And then he made a mistake. He made a huge mistake.

_He blinked._

_And she was gone._

He threw the razor down, blood splattered in the sink and on the floor. "No... No!" the Doctor moaned at the sight of his arm, now covered in thick cuts. Blood continued to flow down his arms.

He ran to the TARDIS' med-bay, grabbing the emergency kit. His hearts were pounding as he fumbled with the bandages.

_"Clara..."_

He pressed the gauze to the wounds, stopping blood flow.

_"Oswald..."_  
He then wrapped it tightly in bandages.

_"I..."  
_  
He tied it up.

_"Love..."  
_  
He ran to his room and threw on new clothed. Then, he took off toward the bathroom, and the madman cleaned up the blood.

_"You..."_

The Time Lord dashed into the TARDIS console room, throwing levers and slamming buttons. He set the date and put on the brakes, and the TARDIS began to dematerialize.

_"Always!"_

The Doctor grinned as the blue box materialized.

And the date, the location?

A Wednesday. Outside the Maitland family home.

And there stood Clara Oswald, waiting. Before the incident.

_Before she died._

_**But the love was real, and nothing else mattered.**_


End file.
